UP: Suspension of SP MLA revoked

Lucknow, Feb 13: A major confrontation between the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party and the Opposition Samajwadi Party was avoided in the legislative assembly as the suspension of an SP MLA was revoked by the Speaker The trouble started during Question Hour when former chief minister and now Leader of the Opposition Mulayam Singh Yadav demanded either a debate in the House on poor distribution of DAP and urea or a probe by a House committee on the issue.

But state Finance Mminister Lalji Verma said the demand was unwanted as the question pertained only to urea and not the DAP.

The SP members created pandemonium in the House and rushed to the Well while. One of them, Imran Khan, stood on the table of assembly reporters (assembly staff). An annoyed Speaker, Sukhdev Rajbhar, suspended Mr Khan for the rest of the Budget session and asked the Treasury benches to bring a resolution to this effect. The resolution was passed by the House to suspend Mr Khan.

SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav termed the suspension as unconstitutional and demanded that it be immediately revoked. ''If you have to suspend, then suspend us all,'' he said.

He also charged the Chair with being ''biased'' by not allowing the Opposition to put across its views. Naresh Agarwal (SP) pointed that the Speaker had not been allowing the Leader of the Opposition to air his views on the floor of the House.

Mr Verma termed the outburst of Mr Yadav as disrespect of the Chair.

The BJP and the Congress MLAs demanded an immediate adjournment of the house proceedings claiming that since the Budget session would continue for some more days, the issue needed to be resolved by leaders of major political parties.

The Speaker then adjourned the House at 1215 hrs till 1300 hrs.

A meeting of senior leaders from all parties assured the Speaker to maintain discipline in the House.

When the House met again, the Speaker withdrew his orders to suspend Mr Khan. The Treasury benches passed a resolution to this effect.

The Speaker hoped that members, while protesting the Treasury would henceforth not climb on the tables of reporters.

UNI